Let's talk about something that has nothing to do with girth.

I like blogging. I really do. But sometimes I don't have anything to talk about that is weight related. And those of you who know me in "real life" know that I NEVER... EVER... have "nothing" to talk about. So if I open this blog up to discussing things that are not ALWAYS weight related, is that allright? (that's right. I didn't put a space between the words "all" and "right" because I feel this should be a compound word and since this is my blog, I make it so.)

So today I would like to talk about my new favorite household thing... Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products.  I found out about these products when I was reading Lyn's blog and she was RAVING about the Geranium scented cleaner she had just bought from Mrs. Meyer's and how wonderful it made her house smell. Well, let me tell you, I am a advertiser's dream because it doesn't take much to get me to clicking away on the Internet and whipping out my Visa card if someone says something smells good. I'm a sucker for 1) good scents and 2) quality stationary. I think it's because either of these things will always fit, even on a bloated day. And I also HAD to know what a geranium cleaning product smelled like... right? So I ordered a case of the concentrated all-purpose Geranium cleaner and my house smells SO good. You know, when you walk into a home and the scent makes you instantly think "how does someone make their home smell so classy??" THAT'S MY HOUSE WITH THIS STUFF! I HIGHLY recommend the Geranium scent. 

Well, that wasn't enough for me. I had to investigate and buy more products. I was going to buy some from the website and then I entered my zip to find out there are TWO retail stores that carry this stuff right here in town. I went to Fred Meyers and bought the Lavender scented countertop spray~ DIVINE. And then I went to Greenway's EcoMart and bought the BASIL countertop spray... BASIL??? Are you even kidding me??? HAD to try that one and it's so FRESH and KITCHEN-Y. I'm loving the refreshing scents and... I guess I should discuss whether or not they clean... UNBELIEVABLY. In our new kitchen we have a huge white porcelain farm sink. Did I mention WHITE? I just spray some of the Mrs. Meyers products into the sink and rinse it out and it's CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. The concentrate is perfect for cleaning the floors... I have even bought the Geranium fabric softener sheets~ I wanna smell like geraniums 24/7. Seriously. 

I am a firm believer in rewarding yourself for losing weight and most of us are used to celebrating with a nice dinner. May I suggest splurging on something you would not typically buy, that may cost a hair more then you are used to spending, that will result in making you feel like a domestic Goddess? Just a thought~  

No Botox for you.

OKAY I'm back. I said I would be and I KNEW I'd hold myself to it since I promised the World Wide Web I'd freeze their foreheads if I didn't blog again. Here's the evidence that I worked out today, too. The neck picture is showing you that I was SWEATY. See, that's the benefit of gaining weight and getting out of shape- you get so much more "umph" out of your workout 'cause you're fat and it's harder to move. You've got to see the silver lining, right?

I weighed in today and I'm happy to say it isn't GOOD but it's not BAD, either. The last time I reported my weight on my blog I was in the 180's again~ I believe around 189. 'Cause I usually start freaking out when I hit the 180's and start sabotaging myself. So today I weigh 195.2. For falling off of the wagon, it's not TOO bad.  I had a pretty good day today~ I worked out for 45 minutes, had some eggs for breakfast, a grilled chicken salad for lunch... a few Gobstoppers... (is that really so bad?) I'm excited to be back in charge of this. Of course, I could beat myself up and think of how good I would look if I hadn't eaten all of that candy and those chocolaty cakes. But when your hand hurts and your kitchen is trashed, I can't tell you how tasty a snake cake is. I digress.

I'm thankful for the fact that now, when I gain 6 pounds, I can feel it. And I don't like the feeling. It's like I'm wearing an extra layer (or five) around my torso. I'm very aware of what's going on. When I weighed 244 pounds, I had a constant dialogue going on in my head about how bad I looked, how uncomfortable I was, that I was the biggest woman in the room... losing weight allowed me to quiet the internal noise. Being a smaller size is nice but feeling good about myself is the best. I'm getting there. 

Getting back to what works.

"I'm too fat to blog."

At least that's what I said when Eric reminded me that it's been a while since I've blogged. And he's right, but what am I going to say? "Well... I ate total crap today..." or how about "I've been to the gym TWICE this week! WOO HOO!!!" It's hard. Staying on top of this is hard work. I've gained about 10 pounds- at least that's what the scale said when I was on it about 2 weeks ago. (again, with the hiding.) 

Am I giving up? HELL NO. I'm restructuring. There was a time that I was painfully aware of everything I was eating. There was a time when I was disappointed with myself if I didn't get to the gym FIVE days a week. There was a time I was EXCITED about weight loss. There was a time I had my head around what I needed to do. THAT is what I am getting back to.

Did Dr. Hempel fail me? (are you kidding me...?) No. Did Weight Watchers fail me? Nope. Was it my kitchen remodel and car accident? I like those excuses but, no... I just got my head out of the game and went back to some old habits. And that's all right- I'm human.

So here's the deal: I'll forgive myself and move forward if you agree to do the same. As I've been on this journey, I've said the same thing more then once~ it is what it is. And the best part of this is that I'm not starting over at 244 pounds. At least I don't think I am... ; ) 

I am going to blog again, tomorrow, with my CURRENT WEIGHT. It's time to get real, again, and back to what has worked in the past. And that would be 1) eating correctly and strategically 2) exercise and 3) accountability. I have things coming up that I need to look good for and I need to keep that in mind, right? It's only the beginning of June... I have a LOT of bathing suit time left for the summer of 2009. We're going to Disneyland in the beginning of October, for goodness sake. 

I'll be back tomorrow~ pinky swear. If I'm not back on here tomorrow with my CURRENT weight, it's free Botox for all of you.

New Post

The words "NEW POST" on my blogger dashboard are calling me. So I clicked on the NEW POST option, not even knowing what I am going to say tonight. Usually I have a plan- a little dialogue set up in my mind before I start typing but tonight... tonight it's all off the cuff.

I believe things are straightening out in the Hempel world. As I have mentioned in the last couple of posts, life has taken a few difficult turns that have put me to the test regarding discipline and routine and, honestly, I think I could have done better. But the good news is I also could have done worse and I'm still here, right? I'm THRILLED to say our kitchen remodel is almost complete and I'm excited about a new place to have a fresh start in making some amazing meals to feed my little family! I've wished and waited for this kitchen for SO long and it's funny... now that it's here, it intimidates me a little bit. I'm not quite sure about where to put things... I don't feel comfortable in there, yet... It'll come, though. 

I have not weighed myself in about a month. That's REALLY not good. However, I am feeling better about my body and realizing that I am back to losing weight and getting into shape so I am ready to step on the scale this week. As I have said SO many times: it is what it is. I'm not perfect but I'm also not 248 pounds, again, either. So there. 

I'm looking forward to summer. I've already warned Lauren that I have commitments this summer that include teaching Weight Watchers two days a week and working out MOST days but I also have plans for her and for Corbin to do some fun and AMAZING things and I promise she'll have a good time. It's a give and take deal and I think she gets it. Lauren's birthday is on June 6th and we are taking the kids to a water park to celebrate. Eric said "are you going to get into a bathing suit?" And I was all "of COURSE I will- we're going to a water park- what else would I wear? Are YOU getting into one???" (in other words... suck it.) I have not been to a water park since I was a teenager and I'm looking forward to the trip! 

That's all I have for tonight~ I hope all of my friends who stop by here are all staying on course with your goals. It's hard, at times, isn't it? But being healthy... losing weight... staying active... is the right thing to do, don't you agree? And there are going to be months that I am a ROCK STAR at this thing and there will be times I'm feeling a little weak. But at the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of the month... the year... I'm here. And THAT is what counts.

Foreseen and Unforeseen Obstacles

Ahhhhh... life. Things can certainly get complicated in a blink of an eye. And that's when we are truly tested- you find out what you're really made of when those unforeseen challenges present themselves. And at THIS moment, I'm made of Mug root beer and cheddar blasted goldfish. Doesn't sound too good, does it? 

You all know we're in the middle of a kitchen remodel. I thought this would be an easy enough task... I had it all planned... 5-7 days AT THE MOST. Today is day 14 and as I type, my darling husband is busting his butt putting in the cabinets. (I am currently not very useful but we'll get to that.) This means that we have been eating out for about... 12 days worth of meals. I know, I know- I should have ALL of the brilliant answers when it comes to making healthy choices at fast food restaurants but listen, at the end of the day, when you're eating this junk for 2 meals a day- it's all crap. And repetitious. 

Then... on Monday, May 4th, I was driving TO THE GYM and as I went through the intersection a lady ran a red light and plowed into my van. Luckily, the worst injury was my broken finger (see pic) as Corbin was with me in the car. The accident happened at the same intersection where our practice was so Dr. Hempel (I call him Cookie) was at the scene in seconds to whisk Corbin away for a thorough evaluation while I took care of the administrative details. 

Since that moment my life has been filled with phone calls, insurance companies, rental cars (or the lack thereof for a couple of days), pain... no kitchen... more mess... Chaos. It's hard enough to have one MAJOR thing going on in your life (kitchen) and then add an injury and your car being totaled.

So to put this in a nutshell... I need to find my groove again. I'm not eating well and have exercised maybe three times in the last 2 weeks. (only once in the last week.) I was thinking to myself tonight "what worked when I was losing so much weight?" It was ROUTINE. And STRATEGY. Two things I am currently functioning without. I can't do this. I can't go backwards. So this week I begin again. It's like I have said before: if you get a flat tire do you get out of the car and slash the other 3? NO. You FIX THE PROBLEM. My kitchen will be fully functioning again in the next couple of days and I'll have my new car on Wednesday. And I have an entire life of unexpected surprises ahead of me - each one can't buy my ass 10 pounds, right? 

Gotta get it together.

You've gotta dumb things down for me.

HELLO Internet! Lots of things are happening at my house, let me tell you! We are doing a KITCHEN RENOVATION. The house we live in is 50 years old (I know this because the man who built it is my next door neighbor and he told me so) and still had the original cabinets. Meaning, when it was time to start the demolition, I was so sick of the dilapidated condition of what I had been living with for the last 5 years I was able to rip all of the doors off with my bare hands. How convenient! 

I went to my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday and we learned about CARBS. (and may I add that I'm back in the 180's??! WOO HOO!!!!) I enjoyed the lesson and thanks to Dr. Hempel I was able to share some REALLY interesting information about the good, the bad, and the ugly of carbohydrates. It's all about speed, baby. If you're ready to take off running down the street, eat that package of gummy worms and GO because you're eating simple carbs and did you know that they can START ABSORBING INTO YOUR SYSTEM THROUGH THE GLANDS IN YOUR MOUTH??? That's not fair! At least give me 5 minutes of guilt-free satisfaction before you attach yourselves to my butt. 

Complex carbs? Not as bad... they take about 45 minutes to process so you can eat a nice dinner with some complex carbs, visit with your family, and then take them for a walk to start burning them off! 

AND... did you know... FIBER is a carb? I'M SERIOUS! I had no idea until Dr. Hempel shared this fact with me. (if only I'd been listening to him all of these years instead of tuning him out... no telling what I would have learned.) Fiber is just considerate enough to not be absorbed by our system & "passes on through," if you know what I mean...

And then we have PROTEINS. Which are not carbs... they are our friends and when we eat them, they HANG OUT. It takes a few hours before our bodies start to absorb them so it gives us time for our tummies to feel satisfied so we can walk PAST the simple carbs and say "SUCK IT- my butt is big enough." 

And the BOTTOM LINE IS... ALL of the above will eventually turn into sugar. YOU just choose which rate of speed you would like to convert that food into calories: Candy? INSTANT. Brown rice? You've got some time to get ahead of the game & burn it off. Shrimp? They'll swim around in your tummy for a few hours, slowly processing, while you feel full and satisfied. Just like the yummy protein bar I just ate! 

It's so important to make good decisions about what we're eating. It's even better when you "get it" when it comes to WHAT to eat and WHY. Hopefully I'll be able to find some decent things to eat this week WITHOUT A KITCHEN. Wish me luck on that one and FEEL FREE to invite me to your house for dinner. I'd love to eat your complex carbs & protein! 

Finding a place... outside of the box

HELLO Bloggers! ... or what's left of you... I've been blogging so infrequently that I'm afraid I've lost a few of my friends. So if you're still with me~ THANKS! And hopefully I'll get some of my blogging buddies to stop back by again, soon.

This morning after dropping Lauren off at school, I came home & started getting my workout clothing on. Typically I drop Lauren off & head straight to the gym however this morning I was running behind & had to return home to get dressed. I grabbed my water bottle & looked over to see Corbin laying on the floor playing with Sissy. I thought "it's now warm outside~ is it possible for me to get the exercise I need WITHOUT going to the gym? What would I possibly do with Corbin?" Then a lightbulb came and I said "CORBIN! SISSY! Do you want to go for a walk??" They immediately sprang to their feet & Corbin ran to get his shoes. I grabbed the wagon, threw a blanket inside of it, and loaded up the two of them and away we went. At first I thought I'd just circle the neighborhood a couple of times. It was a BEAUTIFUL morning. As I ended my first lap & was heading back towards my starting point I thought about all of the times I had considered WALKING Lauren to school. I wanted to do it but never knew how long it would take us to get there - - - LET'S WALK TOWARDS THE SCHOOL! Now I know... 15 minutes to school. Then I looked at my watch & remembered I had a hair appointment. Corbin needed to get to his sitter's house... Could I WALK to the sitter's home?? I called her & made sure that she would drive me home in case I got there & couldn't go any further... and off we went! I kept up a good pace & was pulling about 55 pounds behind me the entire time & got to Kris's house in another 15 minutes. Not bad! After sitting for a moment & getting a drink of water, I tossed Sissy back into the wagon, kissed Corbin goodbye, and headed for home. On my own two feet. 

The best part about my experiment today? I was able to spend some time with Corbin. And no television. Or Internet (no offense). I was, for the most part, alone with my thoughts. And 

my dog.

If you have a toddler, a wagon, and a Boston Terrier- give it a try! And we're WALKING to school on Friday- I can't wait!